Uncrossing, Healing and Road-Opening for a Desperate Friend

Date: Wednesday, November 22, 2023.
Sun Phase: Setting.
Moon Phase: Waxing Gibbous at 73% Illumination in Aries.
Mansion of the Moon: #1, Al Sharatain, which means “the two signs.” In the Tropical Zodiac, Lunar Mansion 1 extends from 0° Aries to 12°51’22″ Aries.
Planetary Day: Day of Mercury.
Planetary Hour: Starting in the Hour of the Sun, Ending in the Hour of Venus.
Activities: Rite of Purification by Water (Ritual Bath), Tarot Divination, Opening Temple, Golden Dawn Phase of Rituals (Rite of Bringing Down the Light, Qabalistic Cross, Analysis of the Keyword, Invocation of GD and RR et AC Current), Solomonic and Hoodoo Phase of Rituals (Candle Magic, Invocation, Astral Work, work with Spirits), Temple Closing.

I began today’s work with ritual bathing and use of my Hoodoo formula for Cleansing and Protection Soap. The Moon was waxing and Direct, in a good place for magical Operations. I donned my Solomonic robe, Lion Belt, Rosicrucian stole, Jerusalem tallit, Abramelin Crown, and consecrated Cross and entered the Temple.

A friend came to me in a desperate state today, saying that she was suffering from both significant emotional distress and physical symptoms that made her feel unable to breathe. She also reported feeling very uncomfortable in her home and having suicidal thoughts. I first advised her to go see a doctor. She said that she had done so and they had been unable to find a physical cause for her breathing problems. She had taken an SSRI to help with her depressive ideations, but it was not enough. She continued to have significant suicidal ideations — thankfully, with no current plan or timeline — but still disturbing to her. She told me that she was “praying for God to keep me sane because I’m totally mentally ruined and had a nervous breakdown…”

From time to time, I try to help out a friend in need in a situation like this as part of the fulfillment of my Second Order Rosicrucian commitment to “heal the sick, and that gratis.” In the past, this same friend had come to me asking for guidance and had almost always completely disregarded the advice given to resolve her magical problems. This resulted in her situation getting increasingly worse. As she was particularly desperate and panicking today and needed an urgent solution, I agreed to do some magical work to help her myself as best I could with my limited ability.

She consented for me to first do a divination to attempt to ensure that I was correctly understanding the situation before intervening. I gave water Offerings and Incense to the Divine in the name and honour of all of the Spirits in my Spiritual Court including my Ancestors, certain Saints, 9 Archangels, and the 7 Olympic Spirits. I then sat down in the Temple and prayed over the cards while shuffling and asking the question “What can X and I do to help improve her physical and spiritual situation?”

The Tarot cards provided the following spread:

To me, the cards told the following story: Out of despair, suffering, disappointment, and feelings of abandonment (Eight of Cups), my friend had listened to a series of magicians who gave her poor and reckless advice, often with ulterior motives (Three of Cups Reversed). I got the sense that one of these was a man who was draining her. She had reached out to them in the hopes of getting some illumination, insight, vitality, and a positive outcome (the Sun). However, as a result, she was foolish in the negative sense (Fool Reversed), took reckless magical actions and trusted the wrong people, and was hit with injustice and the consequences of her own actions (Justice). I asked her if she had ben wronged by a man recently, given the man on the Justice card, and she confirmed that she had just gotten out of a relationship with an abusive man. She confirmed him as the man who had been draining her energies (the image I had was of a vampire, not literally, but energetically and emotionally).

As a result of all of the above, particularly her ill-advised magical actions, she had exhausted and complicated her life and, if the situation remains on its current course, will be doomed to end up completely sleepless and exhausted (Four of Swords Reversed). When I told her this point, she confirmed she was already having difficulty sleeping due to her physical issues and anxiety, as well as the feeling in her home, which was uncomfortable. When I heard her mention having difficulty breathing at night, I recommended speaking with her doctor to rule out Sleep Apnea. The key point was that she had tried many things spiritually to improve her situation, but come up completely dissatisfied and fruitless; she was also low on money and concerned about her financial dependence on her mother (Seven of Pentacles Reversed). The reversed image of the mother and child in the stained glass window on the Four of Swords Reversed suggested to me that she was also exhausted with the situation of conflict with her mother; she confirmed that this was the case.

Her Hopes and Fears card was the Devil Reversed, which, to me, suggested that she hoped to be able to break free from the chains that bind her, both spiritual and physical, and feared not being able to do so. I also asked if she had been experimenting with demonic magic, which she confirmed that she had. I asked if she had taken proper Solomonic precautions as the Fool Reversed suggested she had not; she confirmed she had not and had instead used the reckless and foolish Gallery of Magic books to conjure malevolent daimons.

The cards suggested that if she wanted to improve her situation, she would need to put a complete stop to all of her magical activities based on the bad advice and reckless ways of working and find a new direction (Chariot Reversed). This would involve having to change her belief system and adopt some new ideas, but it would be beneficial to her if she would take the time to do this proper reflection (Ace of Swords Reversed).

I then checked in with my Spiritual Court to see what could be done magically and did a clairvoyant remote viewing of her situation with her consent. I saw a heavy dark weight in her heart area, as if physically pressing down on her heart and chest. I also saw three dark Spirits in her room, but they appeared to be hiding behind a murky blue-black cloud, so I could not see them clearly. Magically, my Spirits indicated that we would need to do some cleansing and uncrossing work, some Road Opening, and some Healing. Then she would have actions to take on her side.

With her consent, I proceeded with the ritual work to try to help improve the situation. Opening the Solomonic Temple, I was guided by my Spirits to a set-up on my Tablet of Lights (Balthazar’s old method). I was guided to draw a sigil of my friend’s name at the center in the shape of a Cross. Above this, I was to draw a door opening with two doors to signify Road Opening, with light coming out of the door. I was to draw a Rose Cross at the bottom with Rays extending from it to connect with the letters of the Name Sigil. Then to draw the Sigils of Raphael and Michael from the Heptameron grimoire, diagonally, forming a kind of Triangle around my friend’s Name. I was then shown two Sigils signifying Healing and Uncrossing, which were added by Raphael and Michael’s sigils respectively. Consulting with the Spirits of Herbs and Roots, I was guided to use a combination of Mint, Comfrey and Rue for cleansing and uncrossing along with Self-Heal and Angelica for healing and reinvigoration, as well as to balance out the harsher force of the Rue. A purple candle was anointed with Van Van Oil for Road Opening and Uncrossing and the additional Herbs. An off-white candle was anointed with Healing Oil and the herbs. A central yellow candle was used to represent my friend and dressed with the Van Van and Healing Oil while pulling down the oil and herbs. The statues of Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael were placed in a Triangle around the ritual set-up. The residual herbs were sprinkled along the Triangle for manifestation and protection of my friend.

I then opened the Temple and was moved to begin with a series of Golden Dawn and RR et AC rituals with my Lotus Wand prior to the Solomonic work. These included the Rite of Bringing Down the Light, Qabalistic Cross, Analysis of the Keyword, Invocation of GD and RR et AC Current for aid in the healing work in service of another ahead. After these workings, I felt centered, calm, harmoniously grounded, and energized.

I then moved to the Solomonic and Hoodoo work. I proceeded through Conjurations of Raphael, Gabriel, and Michael and vibration of their names. When the atmosphere in the Temple began to feel noticeably lighter, more refined, vibrant, and spiritually luminous and I felt the presence of the Angels, I ceased the conjuration phase. Patchouli incense was lit and offered to the Spirits as thanks in advance for their help and to provide protection to my friend and the central friend candle was suffumigated with it. Holy Water was sprinkled and the set-up was thereby Consecrated and Purified. Crosses were drawn with the Water to link the Archangels to myself as the Operator on the heads of the statues and my own forehead. I then proceeded through Psalm recitation, multiple petitions, requests, and calling on the Angels to assist with different aspects of the work ahead, from Michael assisting with uncrossing and binding and banishing the dark Spirits I had seen in my friend’s living space, to Gabriel and Raphael helping with Road Opening, healing and physical and emotional restoration to the extent that was possible.

Van Van is an old hoodoo formula for oil, incense, sachet powders, and washing products that are designed to clear away evil, provide magical protection, open the road to new prospects, change bad luck to good, and empower amulets and charms. It is the most popular of the New Orleans or “Algiers style” hoodoo recipes.

As I had explained to my friend, with physical healing, there are no guarantees as there are many factors that shape the development of physical ailments and not all of these are in the hands of the Magician, but we can do our best to assist Nature and the Spirits at-play in a situation.

I went through a phase of singing worship and praise to God and invoking Divine Power. Then I continued to pray and invoke while ringing the Solomonic Bell of Art repeatedly and intensely around the two offered candles and in rings around the central friend candle. The lights of the candles began to swell with great power and vibrance. I then tuned in clairvoyantly and did some Astral work on the situation. I saw positive signs — the heavy ball of darkness that had been over my friend’s heart was gradually weakened, dispersed, and completely lifted. I checked with the spirits and they confirmed that this was actually the product of a curse from another magician; not a male as I suspected, but a female. So, the uncrossing was completed.

I then saw the Angels moving in on the three Spirits in the room. I began to do very forceful and severe bindings on those three spirits to support the Angels from afar. Thankfully, this process was aided by the fact that the waxing Moon was in the Mansion of Al Sharaitin in my Sun Sign of Aries; this Lunar Mansion “provides the impetus to move forward, to overcome inertia and change the status quo” as per Christopher Warnock and Agrippa says it is good for “destruction” and subduing hostile forces.

Thereafter, the miasmatic “cloud” that had been obscuring the 3 dark Spirits lifted and I saw them in more detail. The Spirits were beyond any particular form, but in my Spirit Vision, they presented as being two males and one female. The female had black long hair and wore black. She had a severe expression and had shifting quality that later became clear. One of the “male” Spirits presented as wearing red and a crown with a skull-like face. The other appeared to be wearing a blue or purple robe and thin. After the bindings were completed, I saw and felt these three Spirits being cast out of the place and sealed to be unable to return. I saw the Angels working on my friend’s sinuses, nose, and lungs, but I did not see any certain signs that this problem would be resolved like the others. After doing additional prayers and invocations, I finally thanked the Angels and closed down the Temple.

Results of the Operation:

2023-11-23: After the ritual was done, and without telling my friend anything that I had done or anything I had observed, I asked her to share how she felt while I was away doing the rituals. As she lives in another country, she shared her impressions in a message to me, sharing the following. Interestingly, she immediately mentioned that a problem in her chest and heart area — which she had never mentioned to me, but which I had observed Astrally during the ritual — was resolved as the Vision had shown it was:

“Emotionally, I feel better, warmer like there’s some healing band aid to the open hole of my chest area that was always constantly in pain and made me feel like I couldn’t breathe. I think the chest heart pain is almost gone that’s what I can highlight! I had severe heavy pain like physically hurting out of the energetic pain in the chest area… I couldn’t take a deep breath at all because of the tension. Now, the constant and deep pain that was stored in my chest by the emotional damage and mental attachments I have had for my abusive ex, the confusion and distortions about them and the relationship, are gone finally!”

Interestingly, about this same ball of dark energy over the heart that I had seen, she said “Yes, my feeling of it was as a heavy black or grey sphere of darkness that was stuck and sucking on my heart. Funny enough, I had a dream about this two weeks ago…” She had never mentioned this dream to me.

I then asked if she had been cursed by anyone to her knowledge. She confirmed that she had, by an ex-friend. She was amazed when I asked if this was a female friend, which she confirmed that it was, just as I had seen in the Spirit Vision. This friend even had a sympathetic link to use to curse her and the knowledge of how to do so; indeed, it had been confirmed that she had done so by a mutual friend. I confirmed to her that this curse had been uncrossed, which was why she felt that alleviation over the heart area. She expressed tremendous relief at this news.

Next, I asked how the space of her room felt. She said “I feel it’s improved! Before, it felt unsettling, anxious, cold, chaotic, heavy, dark, isolated, lonely all the worst things you can imagine, ugh! Now it’s settled and more harmonized like there’s some invisible cloud of protection here now. Like the crust of the darkness is dispelled and dissolved like those ads for laundry detergent…”

I told her about the three dark spirits I had seen and asked if she had dealt with a female spirit whom she felt did not wish to leave. She told me that “a few days ago, I was led to, take my photo off the wall. I had drawn the name of (the female spirit) on the back of my picture when I worked with her in the past to connect her to me. I had been told by two other magicians — some of those people who gave me bad advice from the Tarot reading — to work with her to improve my situation, but she didn’t help at all. I stopped working with her like 2 years ago, but forgot all about it until a few days ago. At that time, I started to feel like this symbol was holding me hostage almost, and I decided to burn it. I ripped the picture up and burned it, praying to Michael to free me from all her chains and crossed conditions. After that happened, I was in another state of my country and got involved in a big conflict and almost killed. I felt like she was attacking me…” I had not known about any of this before, but confirmed to her that this was the female spirit who had was now gone.

As for the other two male spirits, these were revealed to be Paimon, the 9th Spirit of the Lemegeton’s Goetia and another Goetia daimon, whose name I will not repeat, that she had called upon using Gallery of Magic methods with no Solomonic protocols, Circle, Triangle, or ritual equipment. I reminded her that this is why I told her not to mess with the Gallery of Magic materials in the first place because they are reckless, foolishly conceived in terms of safety and sound magical design, and lack the necessary Solomonic protocols to safely work these notoriously difficult spirits. Clearly, she had failed to successfully execute the License to Depart and sending away of these 2 spirits and they were basically lingering and draining her for their own amusement. She promised me that she would never use the Gallery of Magic methods again and never call Lemegeton’s Goetia spirits again as she is not able to bind and contain them safely. The good news was that they were bound and banished with the help of the 3 Archangels and Rootwork methods, so they would not bother her anymore.

Depiction of the 9th Spirit of the Lemegeton’s Goetia grimoire Paimon as a crowned figure riding a Dromedary.

Finally, however, when it came to the physical symptoms in the nose and sinuses, I had my doubts if the ritual had worked. Indeed, my friend confirmed this — she continued to feel the same dryness and stuffiness in her nose and sinuses. I reminded her that physical healing with magic is extremely difficult — quite like the other thaumaturgic domain of lottery magic. While we can shift probabilities with magic, the results are often not guaranteed, despite our and the Spirits’ best efforts and intentions. I told her that these symptoms might even worsen for a while before she sees any progress; this was predicted in the Tarot reading. However, I told her that if in doubt at all, to not hesitate to go to the hospital, especially if she feels she physically cannot breathe. She agreed and thanked me for my help.

All credit for whatever positive results we had I offer to my Spiritual Court and Ancestors, with special thanks to Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael and all glory to the Lord of the Universe. I assume no responsibility for any of these, only for whatever errors I may have made that negatively impacted the intended results of the Operation. From what I could tell, the Uncrossing, Road Opening, Deliverance, and Spiritual and Emotional aspects of the Working were all successful, but the physical healing results were at best mixed — some of the difficult breathing was improved and physical chest pain was completely eliminated, but the sinus dryness and stuffiness continue to be problems.

The mixed nature of these results, I attribute, not to the spirits, but to the limits of my own abilities and the notoriously difficult nature of physical healing magic as a whole.

Solomonic Invocation of Archangel Gabriel and Cauldron of Art Consecration

By Frater S.C.F.V.

Note: This article and all images contained herein are Offerings of thanks to the great Archangel Gabriel, not unto my glory, but unto the glory of the Most High. May all of the praise and honour be to Him and Him alone. All photos were taken after the Temple was closed. All communications from the Angel are shared here with permission for the extension of the Good for the benefit of all beings and the accomplishing of the Divine Will. May all beings be well, blessed, and free from suffering, amen!

Date: Monday, January 14, 2018
Sun Phase: Set
Moon Phase: Waxing, First Quarter (58% Illumination, as close as possible to the 50% suggested by the Heptameron) in 3 degrees Taurus
Mansion of the Moon: Thurayya
Planetary Day: Day of the Moon
Planetary Hour: Hour of the Moon
Activities: Solomonic Ritual Bathing with Hyssop; Crafting Gabriel’s Sigil; Dressing Candles for Cyprian and Gabriel; Preliminary Prayers; Offerings to the Most High and to Saint Cyprian of Antioch; Heptameron Prayer; Invoking the Angels of the Four Directions as per Heptameron; Psalm 103 Recitation; Conjuration of Gabriel; Exorcism and Consecration of the Cauldron by Cyprian and Gabriel; Scrying with Gabriel; Temple Closing 

For the past few days, I have felt a strong call not only to consecrate my new Cauldron of Art, but to invoke the Archangel Gabriel as well as my Patron St. Cyprian of Antioch for help in the process.  I was receiving a strong nudge, of the kind I often receive from Saint Cyprian or the Holy Spirit, that Gabriel would have a message for me. Therefore, I began a 3-day regime of ritual purity in preparation, culminating in today.

The timing for the Operation was appropriate. The Heptameron requires in “Of the Manner of Working” that if possible, “Let the Moon be increasing and equal, if it may then be done;” at 58% illumination, the ‘equal’ requirement was almost perfectly met  (Peterson, 2008). In addition, the Moon today is in the Lunar Mansion of Thurayya, which is, as Picatrix (12th century) says, proper for “the acquisition of all good [things].” Agrippa (16th century) adds that it is good for “happy fortune and every good thing.” It is especially a good time for new creative ventures and asking for assistance and favours.

After a ritual bath with hyssop, I got into my white robe and stole, put on my Cyprianic rosary, scapular, and Cyprianic bracelet, and covered my hair with a black covering.  Proceeding to the Temple, which had already been arranged prior to the beginning of the Planetary Hour, I sounded the Bell of Art three times before entering the Circle as per the Hygromanteia. Then, I entered the Circle, and began preliminary prayers to the Divine while asperging the Circle, Altar, and all Instruments of the Art with Holy Water.  I then took up my Solomonic Sword and traced over the outer line of the Circle with its point. I put down the Sword and picked up my Wand. 

First, I presented Offerings to the Most High and asked for His Help in sending His servant, Gabriel to be present with me and aid me in this Operation of the Art. Next, I presented Offerings to my Patron, St. Cyprian of Antioch, of Frankincense, a Candle dressed with Chili, Mugwort, and San Cipriano Oil, and bread drizzled with Maple Syrup. I poured his previous week’s offering of Spring Water into the Cauldron on the Altar and sprinkled it with Mugwort. I asked St. Cyprian to assist me in exorcising it, which I proceeded to do, while rubbing it with water from St. Cyprian’s water glass as Conjureman Ali recommends. I then asked if the Saint would bless it for use in all Operations of the Art and empower and charge it with prayers to the Most High and his own skill in the Art.

With this done, I proceeded to the Heptameron Prayer prior to Conjurations. I then asked Cyprian to aid me in bringing to the Circle those Spirits I would call and similarly called upon the Holy Spirit to aid me in this way. Then, I took up the Bell of Art and my Wand and then called the appropriate Angels of the First Heaven, ruling on Monday, as per the Heptameron, as follows:

• From the East.
  • Gabriel. Gabrael. Madiel. Deamiel. Janael.
• From the West.
  • Sachiel. Zaniel. Habaiel. Bachanael. Corabael.
• From the North.
  • Mael. Vuael. Valnum. Baliel. Balay. Humastrau.
• From the South.
  • Curaniel. Dabriel. Darquiel. Hanun. Anayl. Vetuel (Peterson, 2015).

Next, I sang Psalm 103 and then, while holding the Wand, proceeded with the Heptameron Conjuration of Gabriel. I performed the Conjuration in song-like vibratory pitch, slow and powerful. When it was done, I suffumigated and sprinkled Gabriel’s Sigil, which I had drawn in the Day and Hour of the Moon during the waxing Moon at its ‘equal’ stage, and stared at while vibrating Gabriel’s name over and over again. I continued in this way until I felt his presence in the room growing stronger. His presence struck me, as always, as powerful, incredible ancient, and yet warm and compassionate. I gave him consent to speak into my mind, or through the incense smoke, or otherwise to guide me how best he would like me to communicate with him on this day.

To begin, I asked him to confirm his presence by moving the three streams of incense smoke visibly to the left, which he promptly did. Then, I welcomed him, knelt before the Altar, and blessed him with great love and respect and offered him gifts of incense, bread drizzled with maple syrup, a blue candle dressed with Saint Cyprian Oil, Mugwort, and White Sesame (sacred to the Moon). I asked him if the Offerings were acceptable to him and a deep, warm voice began to speak in my mind, feeling quite distinct from my own, saying:

“These gifts were not necessary. But the kindness of your heart is appreciated.”

I told him I was glad to hear this and how grateful I felt that he was here. I reminded him that I had always felt a loving connection with him and hoped I could learn much from him as he accompanied me on the journey of life.

I then asked him if he had any wisdom to offer me at this point in time. His message was as profound as it was moving:

“O Son of Humankind, turn your vision to this candle flame you have offered unto me. To we Angels, this is what your human lives are like — a fleeting flame, that burns for the flash of a moment. Just as soon as it came, it is gone. For us, your entire human history, all that has passed, is now, and ever shall be, is but a flame of this same kind. Simply a flash of light in the darkness. The light of your life is not even yours, but a gift from your Lord, a sharing of His Light. And yet, how arrogant are your fellow human beings! How great you exalt yourselves, while fleeting flames!”

I felt so humbled by his words as I knelt before the Altar. I confessed my own shortcomings in this area, the many ways in which I had missed the mark. I then asked the Archangel what we, as individuals can do to help our fellow human beings in this time when we fleeting flames are so exalting ourselves, so out of balance, and seemingly so lost. The great Angel replied:

“First, notice the fragility of human life. How easily blown out is a small and flickering flame. Give thanks for the light bequeathed to you. Then tend to your flame. Having tended to your own flame to strengthen it, tend to the flames of those with whom you share your world. Let your every meeting with another strengthen their flame, not weaken it. And as you strengthen them, so shall you be strengthened.

Then turn to the flames as yet unlit, flames only to be lit hundreds and thousands of years from now, the flames of future beings. Let your actions now, tend to their flames then. Tread lightly on the Earth, lest, in seeking to strengthen your own flame, your actions blow out theirs. Many among you are desperate and hurting. We see you and we help you as best we can as we are Willed to do. You are not alone. Show your fellow beings hope as you have been shown hope. Strengthen them as you have been strengthened. Nurture the Light bestowed on you. For your Father is in you as you are in Him. And all you meet are but Him in disguise.”

I thanked him for his wisdom. Then, out of curiosity, I asked Gabriel something I had long wondered. How did Mary, mother of Yeshua, respond when Gabriel went to see her and told her she would give birth to a son? Asked this question, his presence in the room seemed to brighten as if resonating with a fond and beautiful moment and he said:

“She was surprised, as any would be. But she was humble. She surrendered to God’s Will. She did not elevate herself, but lowered herself, grateful. Her life became an offering, for she knew the blessings bestowed on her would be given to all.”

I asked Gabriel if he would aid me by touching and blessing this Cauldron of Art for work to extend the Good as is the Will of the Most High. I was instructed to place the candle I offered unto him into the Cauldron and place his Sigil over the rim of the Cauldron.

Then Gabriel spoke these words:

“As this candle flame’s light fills this Cauldron, so, too does my Light bless it now. Use it for good or not at all.”

I said I would and then asked Gabriel for another request. Would he bless me with the honour of formally becoming one of my Patrons, to guide me in life and in my service to others, and lead me deeper into the Divine Mysteries? Much to my joy, the Angel replied:

“As you have asked, it shall be. If you humble yourself and nurture the flames in others, then I will nurture the flame in you. Wherever you are, I too, will be. When you worship your Father, I will be there by your side. As God is in you, so be in God, for you and your Father are One. And there is none that do not abide in Him. Some know it, some do not. Nurture those who know and those who do not alike.

The wise know this: to humble yourself infinitely is to realize the Divine infinity in you. If you are willing to lay yourself so low as to be Nothing, then you shall realize the Nothing that is All. If you raise yourself up, you shall be brought down, but if you bring yourself down, you shall be raised up. To those who offer themselves for the good of the All, the All will be offered for the good of them. Receive by giving.”

I asked if there was any final thing that the Archangel would like to show me before we closed.

“Gaze carefully into the Candle flame within the Cauldron.”

I did as instructed. Soon my gaze begun to fade out, distant and yet close. Both of my hands gripped the Altar on either side. I remained there for a few moments. And then a peculiar thing began to happen. My perspective seemed to zoom out, so that I could see my body kneeling before the Altar. Suddenly I became aware that Gabriel was not confined to the candle flame, to the Cauldron, or to the Altar. Instead, he was all around me, everywhere I looked and everywhere I could not see. His massive presence with thousands of wings surrounded the entire Circle…

Gazing within the Cauldron, the perspective shifted out further and further and further. Until I saw the whole Earth in Gabriel’s embrace, his vast white Wings of light wrapped around it, nothing out of his reach…

“Remember the smallness of the candle flame…” He said.

I thanked him for his presence and invited him to enjoy the Offerings as long as he pleased, as I did to Cyprian. I then thanked the Angels and Spirits of the Four Directions for their presence and aid, blessing them with the Bell and with prayers each in turn. I gave the License to Depart to all spirits present and then formally closed the Temple, leaving the candles offered unto Cyprian and Gabriel flickering in the Temple.

A humbled, but joyful loving feeling glowed within me for hours after the Operation. How grateful I feel for even a moment in the presence of Gabriel. How grateful I feel for all of the beautiful candle flames whose light adorns my life, my friends, family, students,  colleagues, Fraters and Sorors, and loved ones. How they bless me with their light. May I always remember my responsibility to each of them and never take them for granted. I close with these all-important words of an Angel far wiser than this humble flame…

“First, notice the fragility of human life. How easily blown out is a small and flickering flame. Give thanks for the light bequeathed to you. Then tend to your flame. Having tended to your own flame to strengthen it, tend to the flames of those with whom you share your world. Let your every meeting with another strengthen their flame, not weaken it. And as you strengthen them, so shall you be strengthened.”

2018: A Magical Year in Review

By Frater S.C.F.V.

View inside a Vigil offered to Archangel Sachiel dressed with Solomonic Holy Oil and Basil.

As we move into 2019, I’d like to take a few moments to reflect on all that has happened in my life in the whirlwind of a year that was 2018.  It has been a tumultuous year in world events to be sure, but in my own little human life, it has been a massively important year.  I share these life and magical achievements and strange tale of bizarre events and poltergeist phenomena not out of arrogance, but in the hopes of inspiring others to work harder to achieve their own goals and to humble myself with the recollection of the giants on whose shoulders I was able to stand this year.

We are all the Divine dancing in the lila (Divine play) of manifested human lives; as this human action figure named Adam, however, I could not have done anything were it not for the amazing friends, family, and colleagues who have so blessed and inspired me with the relationships and time we’ve shared together.  May we have many more years together on this mysterious planet that races on around the Sun! So mote it be with all thanks and glory not unto me, but unto the Most High, amen!

Major Life Events in 2018

• I worked hard to support some truly inspiring students with special needs at McGill University as a Note-Taker, Mentor, and Life Coach. Their own hard work and progress in achieving their goals were so beautiful and inspiring to watch and I feel so lucky to have been able to work with each and every one of them.
• Because of how many blessings came my way this year, I was able to give more to charity than I was ever able to give in the past.  I also gave more offerings to spirits and animals this year than in any other previous year of my life.

• I completed the penultimate year of my clinical social work degree at McGill with a 4.0 GPA and served older adults with mental and physical health issues both in long-term residences and living in the community.  I am now on track to graduate in 2019 and excited to officially begin my clinical social work career.After my prior careers as a certified Chef and high school teacher I am beyond grateful to have finally found my true calling.  Social work offers a vehicle through which I can strive to live out the Rosicrucian ideal “to cure the sick and that gratis,” and where I cannot cure, at least to support individuals and families to empower them with resources, services, and psychosocial support to maximize their well-being.

• I suffered a concussion in July from which I completely recovered in only a few months (thank God!).  More on that below.
• I went to see the Beach Boys live in concert, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

• I also got to attend my first ever professional comedy show, The Nasty Show at the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival due to a kind gift from my friend Randy! Robert Kelly, Brad Williams, Ms. Pat, and Mike Britt had us in stitches from laughing so hard.

• I was called back to the mystical Christian faith of my youth with a newly integrative perspective and began to attend a beautiful local Church. The members of my congregation and I managed to put together gift boxes for kids from the ages of 1 to 14 in 9 different countries: Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Senegal, Guinea, El Salvador, and Guatemala. Glory be to God!

• I published a series of articles on Solomonic magic with which I am very happy to have been able to contribute research on lesser-known topics such as Solomonic Bells and Trumpets and Consecration by Mass.  In addition, I was honoured to have my Bells article featured in the 2018 edition of my esteemed colleague Nick Farrell’s Hermetic Tablet – The Journal of the Western Mystery Tradition.

• 2018 was by far the most successful year for Light in Extension for worldwide views, and overwhelmingly so:

• I was also grateful when the article was recommended by a Frater, magician, author, and friend whom I deeply respect, Fr. Aaron Leitch in a recording of a lesson in his fantastic Secrets of Solomon – Grimoire Magick Classes 101 class.
• I had the honour of being interviewed by the kind, inspiring, and eminently professional Alexander Eth on the Glitch Bottle podcast.

• I was blessed to meet and become friends with many amazing occultists, some of whose books I have been reading and cherishing for the past 14 years or so. I have learned so much from my amazing Fratres and Sorores to whom I remain deeply indebted and grateful. I am humbled to have gotten to have some amazing conversations with not only such masterful occultists, but also such beautiful and amazing people as Aaron Leitch, Jake Stratton-Kent, Dr. Stephen Skinner, Frater R.C., Frater YShY, Joseph H. Peterson, Frater Ashen Chassan, Nick Farrell, Jason August Newcomb, Dr. Tony Fuller, Pat Zalewski, Christine Zalewski, and many more. I also learned a great deal from and enjoyed the friendship of many others whose names I won’t share out of interests of their wish to keep their occult involvement concealed under the Sign of Harpocrates. To all of them and to those I have not mentioned, you know who you are and I love and appreciate you very much.
• I was honoured to become a Moderator in Aaron Leitch’s amazing Solomonic – Secrets of the Magickal Grimoires group.
• I participated in multiple McGill University research studies, received EEGs, got paid to receive electric shocks inside of an MRI machine, and marched in the largest strikes for paid student internships in the history of Montreal. I also improved my skills at engraving, drawing, and painting, attended my cousin Julie’s wedding, and joined the wedding party of my sister’s wedding planned for 2019.

Magical Achievements in 2018

• After receiving a concussion in July, which occurred after I slammed my head into a ceiling beam causing it to burst out in blood, I was forced to leave my job working as a cook in an amazing Montreal restaurant on St. Laurent. The concussion resulted in brain damage to my frontal lobe which was associated with distressing symptoms like slurring of speech, forgetting common words in conversation, damage to episodic memory, and mood swings.Within a few months,  despite not receiving any form of medical treatment, however, I recovered all of my impaired cognitive abilities and my head healed almost completely, leaving only a tiny scar.  I attribute this nearly miraculous healing to God Almighty, whom I petitioned for help with healing the devastating effects this concussion had on my psychological functioning.
• I coined the term cryptoconsecratio and developed the method of secretly consecrating magical items by Mass, which I performed countless times in the past year on objects ranging from Jupiter Pentacles to Wands, Burins of Art, my statue of Saint Cyprian of Antioch, my Cyprianic Rosary, and many other tools.

• I manifested my vision for my ideal home and was blessed–glory be to God!–to be able to equip it with everything I had ever hoped it would have in terms of appliances and electronics. I also read many amazing occult books and massively increased my esoteric library.  Divine Provision can be humbling indeed.
• In 2018, aside from the Christian Trinity, and Saint Cyprian of Antioch, I was honoured to work with the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Samael, Anael, Cassiel, Uriel, and Sachiel, as well as the Angels Netoniel, Devachiah, Tzedeqiah, and Parasiel. I learned many interesting things from these spirits, such as about how limitations and discipline can be forms of freedom rather than simply obstacles freedom from Archangel Cassiel, learning about keys to prosperity from Sachiel, and much more.
• I also did some deep work with the Papyri Graecae Magicae or Graeco-Egyptian Magical Papyri this year, especially the Headless Rite and PGM Lecanomancy.

• I made some serious progress with Pathworking in the past year and met and learned from many other spirits in the course of the resulting astral work.  Qabalistic Paths explored in 2018 included Peh, Tzaddi, Malkut, Resh, Qoph, Shin, and Tav.
• I secured a dedicated and permanent Temple for the Ordo Aurum Lucerna. Our Order also increased its Archives of copies of G.D. manuscripts to be  exponentially larger than it has ever been thanks to the kindness and generosity of some truly amazing Fraters and Sorors from other G.D. Orders to whom we remain deeply grateful.

W.B. Yeats’ drawing of the Hermetic Rose Cross.

• After a series of strange experiences, and encouragement from my dear friend Chijioke, I began magically and devotionally working with Saint Cyprian of Antioch. I formally assumed the great Saint as my Patron after an intensive 9-Day Novena to him in September, 2018.  During my time of working with him, my magic has radically improved and deepened in all of the three traditions with which I work: Solomonic, Cyprianic, and Golden Dawn.  May the credit for that not be unto me, but unto Saint Cyprian, God Almighty, to the Spirits, Angels, and Archangels, and to the kind friends and colleagues who made this possible.

• Our Golden Dawn Order, the Ordo Aurum Lucerna, of which I have been Imperator for the last 9 years, has grown larger, stronger, and more active than ever before.  I am so grateful to my brethren in the Order for the beautiful work we do together, for our democratic power structure, for how much we have all grown in the past year, and for how much we have to look forward to in 2019.  Khabs am Pehkt, Konx Om Pax, Light in Extension!
• I performed a controlled experiment that seemed to find some empirical support for the claim that food offered to Archangels tends to last longer and resist mold longer than the same food not given as an offering.  I tested the claim using muffins prepared from the same batch of batter and kept in the same temperature, moisture, and storage conditions.

• This past year, I have gone deeper into Solomonic magical practice than ever before.  I crafted the Circle from the Lemegeton’s Goetia, as well as consecrated Holy Oil, Holy Water, Incense, and Candles, crafted a new Wand and a Solomonic Bell of Art, several Burins of Art, a new Aspergillum, a consecrated Chest for materia magica, and several other items for use in my Operations. I also wrote a series of articles on Solomonic topics, as previously mentioned.

• This past year saw some fruitful results with Planetary magic, particularly with a consecrated Saturn ring I was kindly gifted by my friend Sarah Wreck and with Jupiter. I crafted the 2nd Pentacle of Jupiter from the Key of Solomon after waiting nearly an entire year for a solid election and also consecrated a Ring of Jupiter at the same time.This Pentacle and Ring have produced some amazing results, such as over 8000$ of my student loan being converted into a bursary I do not have to pay back, saving 400$ on a new TV and large amounts of additional money on appliances and a guitar, receiving much favor, and many other astounding results such as Soror C.R. gaining a promotion and me obtaining an amazing job right out of graduation from my Clinical Social Work degree.

• Besides the more spectacular concussion recovery, I also experienced some additional interesting healing results this year.  These included Archangel Raphael healing me completely of a cold within 1.5 days; to place this result in perspective, it normally takes me 7 days or longer to get over a cold.  In addition, I experienced having scars, redness, and dark patches completely healed within days of asking YHVH for this result.
• This year, I performed more professional Tarot readings than ever before and was honoured to have been able to read for clients all around the world. I am so grateful for the trust which people have placed in me by allowing them to do readings for them. What sets my approach to professional readings apart from others is that for the 50$ per reading that I charge, I not only include the reading itself, but also give offerings on behalf of the client and their family, and write a detailed report for them complete with HD photos of all of the cards in the reading so that clients can refer to it in the future.I noticed that most Tarot readers do their readings orally only, so clients do not have a record of the reading and often quickly forget it. In this way, they have a detailed record of the reading, which is incredibly comprehensive; as an example, the last such report I wrote came to a whopping 43 pages! Feel free to contact me on Facebook or by email should you be interested in arranging a reading.

• After Soror C.R. and I independently saw visions of the Archangel Sachiel wearing a red vest after invoking him via the Heptameron conjuration, Soror C.R. had a vision of him giving her a red vest to wear. The next day, while carrying the 2nd Pentacle of Jupiter consecrated by Sachiel, I was directed to a store where I found a red vest exactly like the one she saw in her vision, which I purchased for her. The price tag said only 9$, but I ended up paying only 6$ due to an additional 30% reduction.

• I performed more professional natal charts for clients around this world this year than in any other year of my life. These are also 50$ per chart and yield a similarly detailed and comprehensive written report explaining all of the Aspects to what I produce for my Tarot clients. Please feel free to contact me by email as well should this service be of interest.

• I was honoured to have had the opportunity to spend some time learning from members of the Order of Saint Cyprian of Antioch.  I met some beautiful and amazing people in that Order, to whom I am very grateful, but have since retired from that particular group in order to focus on the Ordo Aurum Lucerna and my other magical projects, writing, and research. I am particularly grateful to Ms. Sfinga (pseudonym) at the OSC from whom I learned a great deal.  It was Sfinga whom I commissioned to sew my scapular of Saint Cyprian and who kindly gifted me a beautiful amethyst and tiger’s eye bracelet.  She is an absolutely amazing human being, kind and genuine through and through as well as an amazing esoteric practitioner and a brilliant scholar. I have nothing but fond things to say about her, as of many other members of that esteemed Order.

• After asking St. Cyprian to guide me to a vessel in which to store my magica materia, he led me to a shop I never visit where I found a fascinating hand-carved antique chest that was exactly what I had been hoping for.

 

• I performed a formal exorcism of a daimon-possessed woman this year.  The spirit in question turned out to be a subservient spirit of Alloces, the 52nd spirit of the Lemegeton’s Goetia.  I am indebted to Sarah Wreck for her help with identifying the entity and advising me on how to proceed with the exorcism.  8 months later,  I’m happy to report that the woman in question remains in very good health and has not been troubled by any other spirit.
• I was guided by Saint Cyprian to a store I had never been to in a part of the city I had never explored which, to my amazement, happened to be the only store in Montreal that sells Oil of San Cipriano.

Strange Phenomena and Poltergeist Activity in 2018

• July 6, 2018 – I experienced the most powerful and unmistakable physical manifestation of an Angel that I have ever seen.
• Saturday, Dec. 8, 2018 – Around 8:35 PM. While standing in the kitchen speaking with Soror R.A. about working with Angels, a small white physical feather appeared seemingly spontaneously in the air.  Both of us saw and were shocked and amazed by this.  The feather drifted slowly and gracefully to the floor, which we both witnessed.  Then when we looked for it on the ground, it had vanished… Weeks later, Soror R.A. was called to work with Archangel Sachiel and developed an intense relationship with him.
• Sunday, Dec. 9, 2018 – In a dream, two daimons, likely Jinn, suddenly appeared in the midst of the dream narrative.  They had pitch-black skin, but extremely white eyes.  I could sense their malevolent intent so I immediately bound them by the Sign of the Cross in the manner of St. Justina of Antioch and they backed off and vanished.

• November 8, 2018 – 9:45 PM – A fellow Magician gave me a consecrated ring of Saturn containing a large piece of led. This ring works very well for its intended purpose, but it seems to spontaneously vanish, be gone for a period of time, and then reappear somewhere I did not put it. It has vanished several times from the bureau near my bed and reappeared in pockets, in my backpack, and in other places. This night, I went to do a Rune reading for Soror R.A. and the Ring fell out of the Rune bag! Neither I nor anyone else had placed it there…
• I experienced some interesting cases of telepathy where I stated something very specific (e.g. referring to Track II of the Monster roller-coaster in Montreal, QC, Canada) that another person had been thinking about before they said it.  Only to be told by the other person that this was precisely what they had had on the mind.. Other cases included messaging people about topics moments before they were going to message me, and other such events such as in some cases publishing articles on topics people had been thinking of asking me about. All of this made me feel “in-flow” and rather “plugged in” with the larger Mind of the One appearing as many body-minds. This even occurred with people who live in very distant countries.
• I experienced multiple moments of minor precognition (e.g. accurately predicting the contents of sealed boxes and envelopes as well as their arrival dates when they had not even been specified).  This happened 4 times in a week period.
• Dec. 9, 2018 – 4:25 AM – My cat was sitting staring at the Temple door. Suddenly, he meowed loudly and ran down the hall. Then a mysterious knock was heard within the Temple room although there was no one in it. This same sequence of events happened again a few weeks later.
• December 8, 2018 – 6:37 PM – A door spontaneously opened before me without anyone touching it. Witnessed by Soror R.A.
• November 8, 2018 – 7:35 PM – TV spontaneously turned on with no one in the room.
• December 1, 2018 – 3:30 AM – While I was sleeping, my cell phone was suddenly knocked off my bureau. Half-asleep, I picked it up and put it back on the bureau. Then my watch was knocked off the bureau. Beginning to be annoyed, I picked it up and put it back on the bureau. Then my cell phone was knocked off the bureau again. Tired of this spirit’s antics, I called out into the silent room “In the Name of YHVH, cut that out!” No further objects fell to the floor that night.
• During the formal exorcism, a heavy stack of paper was violently thrown to the floor with no breeze in the room.
• One evening, the Enochian Tablet of the South spontaneously fell off the wall. Another night, the Tablet of the West fell off the fall. And still another night, the tablet of the North fell off the wall of its own accord. I had expected the tablet of the East to one day follow the same pattern, but it did not.

• As a final point, some interesting manifestations of spirit activity during ritual magic this year included a Crucifix hung around Saint Cyprian’s statue’s neck swaying in response to questions asked of spirits, strange knocks being heard in the room, incense smoke and candle flames being asked to move in response to questions as answers and the results happening immediately, sparks flashing out of an offering candle when Archangel Michael was conjured, and appearances of images and words spoken by spirits in crystal balls, water in lecanomancy bowls, flames scried into, and in the field of the mind.All in all, I believe it is safe to say that this has without a doubt been the most magical year in my life.  Happy New Years, dear friends! May you and your families be blessed with abundance, love, laughter, and growth in the coming year! So mote it be, amen!

Frater S.C.F.V on the Glitch Bottle Podcast

Glitch Bottle #033 – Solomonic Bells, Wands & Consecrations (Oh My!) with Frater S.C.F.V.

By Frater S.C.F.V

I recently had the great pleasure and honour of appearing on Alexander Eth’s fantastic Glitch Bottle podcast.  We discussed my own multitraditional spiritual background, Solomonic grimoires, Dr. Stephen Skinner’s interesting typology of magic, Mystery, and religion, Wand traditions, Bells and Trumpets of Art, Circles, binding, Consecration by Mass, scrying, cryptoconsecratio, Angelic invocation, and a host of other fascinating topics of magical theory and practice. Please feel free to share any comments or questions you may have. Thank you!

In LVX,
Frater S.C.F.V.

Hybrid Cyprianic / Solomonic Consecration of Amethyst Runes

By Frater S.C.F.V.

Date: October 22, 2018
Sun Phase: Set, Showers Nearby
Moon Phase: Full Moon in 11 degrees Aries
Mansion of the Moon: Sharatain
Planetary Day: Day of the Moon
Planetary Hour: Hour of the Moon
Activities: Casting of a Natal Chart; Solomonic Ritual Bathing with Hyssop; Preliminary Prayers; Offering to God; Solomonic Bell Sounding to the Spirits of the Quarters; Offerings to Saint Cyprian and Gabriel; Second Phase of Prayers; Invocation of the Divine; Invocation of the Trinity; Exorcism of the Runes and Purification by Holy Water; Solomonic Consecration of the Runes with Frankincense Suffumigations, Holy Water Asperging, and Saint Cyprian Oil Anointing; Invocation of Raphael, Gabriel, Michael, and Uriel to empower the Runes; Invocation of the Trinity; Canticle of Saint Cyprian; Rite of the Crook of Saint Cyprian; Psalms Recitation; Recitation of al-Fatiha and al-Adiyat; Gifts of Rune Divination and Tarot Divination for a friend; Temple Closing

Today was a busy day.  In the morning, and very appropriately, I received, on this Full Moon on the Day of the Moon, my new set of hand-carved Amethyst Runes. I, therefore, decided to plan to consecrate the new Runes this evening in the Day and Hour of the Moon.

Appropriately, the Full Moon is in Aries, a great time for work on powerful new beginnings, as well as in the al-Sharatain Mansion of the Moon.  As Christopher Warnock points out,

The warlike ardor of Aries the Ram, ruled by the planet Mars, is necessary for all beginnings. It provides the impetus to move forward, to overcome inertia and change the status quo. The Mansion is auspicious for beginnings, journeys and for taking medicine, as here the Moon transmits the force and power vital to breaking the hold of illness over the body. Keywords: Divine Mind, primal transmission and the power of creation/destruction, active energy and dynamic force.

As a side note, while Agrippa ascribes Amethyst to Mars in his Three Books of Occult Philosophy and Crowley ascribes it to Jupiter in Liber 777, I tend to side with the folk magical tradition that ascribes Amethyst to the Moon, which seems more consistent with its properties to facilitate reflection, clarify the mind to see into Mysteries and hidden virtues, and so on, as attested in Ancient Greek lore.

With purple also being linked to the Sphere of Yesod, the Sphere of the Moon, in the Queen Scale of the Golden Dawn and also being linked to Saint Cyprian, Amethyst seems to me to be a very appropriate choice for a set of Runes.  With that said, even if we take into account the Mars valences of Amethyst as per Agrippa, the connection is nevertheless auspicious since the Luar Mansion of Al-Sharatain is a strong time for Martian and Aries-like bursts forward with new creative energy and endeavours.

The day flew by with my clinical research course and doing what I could to encourage support for the Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal, helping a woman with directions, and casting a Natal Chart for a friend. I decided that I would do three magical acts of service today as service-based Offerings, since I believe service is not only intrinsically valuable, but pleases the Divine. In addition, I find that Saint Cyprian seems to be far more happy to help with my magical operations when I do acts of service for others as Offerings to him. As a result, I resolved to cast a Natal Chart for my friend Pil., and a Rune and Tarot reading for my friend Nik. who has a big decision to make in relation to whether to begin work in the Palo Mayombe tradition and requested some insight from me and Saint Cyprian on the subject.

As night came, I performed Solomonic ritual bathing using hyssop as per the oldest-known surviving manuscript of the Key of Solomon proper, Sloane 3847, The Clavicle of Solomon revealed by Ptolomy the Grecian, (“And sprinkle thy self with the water coniured one such manner as it is sayd after of water and Isope upon thy face sayinge, &c.”).

As the Hour of the Moon began on this Day of the Moon on a potent Full Moon, I took up my Solomonic Bell and ringing it as per the Hygromanteia, entered my Circle, dressed in my white robe, stole, and carrying my Solomonic Wand. I arranged Saint Cyprian’s Altar with his Statue, which I recently consecrated by Mass, as well as exorcised, and Solomonically consecrated after a 9 day Novena culminating on his Feast Day, when I took him as my Patron. I also had on the Altar, my Solomonic Holy Water, San Cipriano Oil, my Solomonic Bell, my brass ‘Cauldron’ filled with white sand and containing Frankincense, a glass of Red Wine as an Offering, Cyprian’s water glass Offering, an Offering of Church wafers for Cyprian, and the complete set of Amethyst Runes.

I lit a candle as an Offering to the Most High and asked for His blessing and that he send the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation (Ephesians 1:17) to aid me in this Operation. I sounded my Solomonic Bell to the Four Quarters as per the Key of Solomon’s instructions for the Bell/Trumpet, blessing the Spirits and Angels of each Direction in turn and requesting their aid in the ceremony.  As I did this, I began to feel the presence of Spirits drawing to the Circle, curious as to what I was up to, as tends to happen. I blessed them and asked them to aid in the Ceremony as they could and bound them not to interfere with it adversely by the name of יהוה I then gave formal Offerings to Saint Cyprian of a glass of water, a glass of wine, Church wafers, and Frankincense.

After preliminary prayers, I stated the Intent of the Ceremony and then began the formal Solomonic exorcisms and consecrations of the Runes. While praying over them, I washed each one in turn with Solomonic Holy Water, asperged them with my Aspergillum,  suffumigated them with Frankincense, and anointed them with the Oil of Saint Cyprian while invoking his aid to empower them for use in divination. I then invoked Raphael, Gabriel, Michael, and Uriel and asked them for their aid in consecration and empowering the Runes as well. I had such a feeling of holy joy after their Invocation that my heart felt much at peace and brimming with love for the kind and inestimably powerful Archangels.

I then performed the Rite of the Crook of Saint Cyprian that Cyprian had taught me, adding the goal of the Ceremony into the petition section. This was the first time I’ve applied the Rite in practical magic since I first tried it after Cyprian revealed it and I found it quite powerful. After I performed it, the Crucifix hanging around Cyprian”s neck began to sway as it sometimes does when he’s actively assisting in a ritual.

Thereafter, I proceeded to a series of prayers over the Runes, the OSC’s Canticle of Saint Cyprian, other prayers from the Saint Cyprian Orisons book, and the recitation of a series of Psalms over the Runes to consecrate them as per the Solomonic tradition. I finished the consecration by reciting two of my favourite Surahs from the Holy Qur’an, namely al-Fatiha and al-Adiyat over the Runes. I was amazed at the deep sense of silence that came over the Temple as I finished the Qur’anic recitations. They never cease to amaze me with their power and depth.

I then took up the Runes and asked for Cyprian’s help to use them to perform their first Three Norn reading as a gift to my friend Nik. for guidance in whether or not he should pursue initiation into Palo Mayombe followed by a ten-card Tarot reading on the same subject. Thereafter, I blessed and greeted the Spirits in the Four Quarters with the ringings of the Solomonic Bell, gave the License to Depart, released any Spirits that may have been captured in the ceremony with the blessings of Yeheshuah Yehovashah, and formally closed the Temple.

When I picked up the consecrated Runes, I already began to feel a deep connection to them. They will remain on Cyprian’s Altar for the next 9 days to complete their charging and final consecration phase, and then I will consecrate them by Mass 1-3 times to finalize their preparation.

Michaelmas 2018: An Invocation of Archangel Michael and the Archangel’s Exhortation to Humanity

By Frater S. C. F. V.

Happy Michaelmas, Amici! Michaelmas, which is also known as the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, the Feast of the Archangels, or the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels is celebrated by the Catholic and Anglican churches today, September 29, 2018.

It’s worth noting, however, that although the Serbian Orthodox Church observes the feast, most Eastern Orthodox Churches. Moreover, the Greek and Romanian Orthodox honour the Archangels as well on their equivalent of the Western Michaelmas, but they also include the Cherubim and Seraphim and celebrate the Feast on November 8th instead.

For my celebration, I began by performing a ritual bath as well as some preliminary worship. Thereafter, I cleaned the Altar, applied a fresh red altar cloth for Archangel Michael, and cleaned all offerings vessels. I arranged the Altar, and prepared the offerings for Michael and the other Angels. These included incense, a red candle fixed with chili peppers, Solomonic Holy Oil, and cloves, and a glass of wine. I also offered the Angels fresh orange slices spiked with three cloves to symbolize the Trinity of Divine images in the Christian “symbolic theology,” to quote Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, that is, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The three clove “nails” qll suggest the three Nails in the Holy Cross, three Supernal Sephirot, 3 Pillars of the Tree of Life, and the G.D. Neophyte Triangle or Triad of Manifestation (“two contending forces and one eternally uniting them”).

Thereafter, I entered the Temple, placed the Offerings on the Altar, and formally opened the Temple with the initial Offerings to the Godhead. Thereafter, I picked up my Solomonic Bell, sounded it three times before entering the Circle as per the Hygromanteia and then, from within it, sounded the Bell thrice to each of the Quarters, greeting the Spirits of the East, South, West, and North with great love, respect, and blessings of Adonai.

Next, I proceeded to give Offerings to Saint Cyprian and began to pray and recite Psalms while holding my Solomonic Wand of Art. Saint Cyprian received his own fresh glass of Spring Water, a candle dressed with San Cipriano oil, Sage, Cinnamon, and All-spice, and Church wafers.

I opened with some prayers to God offering worship, an announcement of my intention to celebrate the Archangels with gratitude and gifts, and a prayer to Saint Cyprian asking him to assist me in the invocation of Michael.

I then used the prayer from the Heptameron to ask for God’s help in calling Spirits and proceeded to a formal Invocation of Archangel Michael.  After prolonged additional conjurations and vibrating Michael’s name while gazing into the crystal with his candle burning behind it–a method I call pyrocrystallomancy, or fire-crystal-divination as shown to me by Archangel Raphael–I felt the Archangel’s presence begin to build in the Temple.

I found it noteworthy that the last time I had invoked the great Michael, his arrival in the Temple was marked by a series of sparks erupting from his candle.  This time, his manifestation in the room was experienced in the expansion of his incense smoke and the omset of intense flickering of his Offering candle.

Much like in the last invocation, however, his presence felt strong, but kind, fiery, but composed, comforting, but unwavering, and above all courageous and ready to act immediately as needed.  Upon his arrival, I greeted him with great love and respect and Offerings of his fixed and dressed candle, the oranges and cloves, the glass of wine, and and Musk incense, sacred to the Sun as per Agrippa, as gifts of friendship.

At this time, I informed the Archangel that my intention was primarily to celebrate his Feast Day, but that I would also be grateful for any insights or wisdom he may wish to offer, not only to me, but to my fellow human beings who might read this ritual journal entry. As a side note, for the sake of respect and decorum, I always obtain a Spirit’s consent to share what they reveal to me, provided it is not explicitly secretive or deeply personal in nature, in which case I do not share it.  Michael has always granted the permission as he considers it a form of Offering to share wisdom for the purpose of edifying others.

I asked Michael to help me to optimally attune my consciousness and biopsychospiritual state in order to best me able to communicate with him and asked Saint Cyprian to help me to send and receive clear messages to the Angel.  This process of tuning in is, to me, like tuning a radio receiver to receive the clearest possible sound of a particular radio station’s broadcast.

Scrying into the Crystal as Michael’s candle burned behind it, I gave the Archangel permission to speak into my mind or into my body via sensations or emotions. I asked him questions as I gazed through the crystal and received his responses immediately in a deep, stern, but kind, and warm voice.

When asked if the traditional depictions of Michael are how he really appears, he said “no. These are appearances that I assume for you,” meaning human beings.

I then asked him if he could give me a closer impression of what he looks like without assuming the images he takes on so as not to frighten us. He asked if I was sure. I wondered if he had been asked this before only to have people be terrified by the result. I said that I was certain.

My eyes grew heavy and fell closed before a vivid vision began to reveal itself.

Before me, I first see a handsome and slightly androgynous male figure clad in red robes and armor and bearing a mighty sword. Behind him, two large white wings stand elegantly unfolded to each side of his armored frame.  As I watch, the image of his clothing, wings, and human-like features begins to stretch and distort. It grows and grows, beyond a height slightly taller than my 5’11 frame to grow larger and larger. Before I know it, the great Michael’s vast form is entirely filling the horizon in every direction. Wherever I look, his massive form is there.

The colours in his initial self-presentation gradually begin to fade out. Now, there is but a vaguely anthropomorphic being of golden light towering over the entire planet Earth… At last, even this last faint hint of a human-form distends into a totally incomprehensible and unrecognizable ‘mass’ of pure golden light, voiceless, and staggering in its incredible power…

The whole experience lasts only a few moments before the vast, cosmic figure shrinks back down and resumes the familiar human-esque form in red robes and Angelic wings.

I open my eyes and resume gazing at Michael’s candle’s flickering flame from through the Crystal.  I thank the great Archangel for this impressive vision, feeling humbled by the realization thay even this only really represents a fraction of what Michael is “really like.”

As this is a day of celebration of Michael and all other Angels as well as their primordial relationship with human beings, I ask the Archangel if he has any words of wisdom to guide humanity at this moment in our history. He begins to speak these words:

“Yes. Know that whatever you face, however alone you may feel, however desperate things may seem, there is always hope. Wherever you stand, you stand not alone. My Sword executes justice in accordance with Divine Will balanced with love and compassion. Many are the Angels who storm to your aid when you are in struggle, if only you knew. Be encouraged and take hope. In your darkest nights, our light shines brightly to join with yours.

Beware most of all the tendency towards self-absorption and self-centeredness, the gateway of all sin, that is, of all missing of the mark of excellence, virtue, and holiness. Temptations always come in the same forms: questioning your value, shaming you, tempting you into feeling entitled, and fanning the flames of greed and victimhood. All of these appeal to the baser constructs of human self-centeredness.

If you are absorbed in yourself, you become blind to value beyond value for you. You lose yourself in greed and hatred, entitlement and cruelty, attachment to illusions and arrogance. All the while, you hold your imaginary self up as an idol to be worshiped. What folly!

Human destruction always stems back to excessive self-centeredness. It is for it that you destroy the planet, that your people kill, rape, lie, deceive, and manipulate and glorify yourselves on your media, begging to be worshiped so that your artificial image of self can feel real. All of this is falsehood. Cut through it. Humility is the gateway to wisdom, not self-centeredness and arrogance. What room is there for growth in one who believes themselves already to be large and great? Turn back from illusions to Truth, from the imaginary to the Real, and humble yourself in relationship to That. For your greatness is only in your realization of always having been That, and not in the little “you” you pretend to be. Humble the “self” you’re not and embrace the Self beyond all concepts and images, the Eternal and the True.” 

When asked what humans could do to be more like the Angels, the Archangel’s reply was:

“Surrender illusions to Truth. Trust the Good, which is the same as the Will of God. Do it without hesitation out of Love for its nature. Surrender self-centeredness and dwell in the awareness of Divine presence. Live to serve and love the service. Find your meaning not in what you can get for yourself, but how you can strengthen and give to others. Serve the Whole you Are, not the part you take yourself to be. In truth, not even the Angels separately exist. The same is true for human beings; it is only your wrong thinking that makes you take yourselves to be cut off from one another. Nothing is cut off. Nothing is apart from God. We know this. Purify your mind of wrong notions and be open to learning from that Wisdom which is beyond your finite understanding.”

Finally, when asked if humans are missing anything important that we should be attending to, Michael replied:

“Yes. Frankly and boldly consider the impact of your actions as a relative human being. You are always influencing everyone around you, whether neutrally, for the worse, or for the Good. Own your part in the problems you blame on others. Own the impact of your actions. Minimize the harm you cause and maximize the Good. Wake up from the dream of self-absorption before your greed and ignorance destroy the Earth, your fellow human beings, and other creatures alike.  We Angels have watched your kind since you first emerged. We have seen you do great things, and great atrocities. Ultimately, all things that arise, pass away. But even an ant leaves footprints in the sand.

Contribute not to the collective self-destruction. Own your part to play in the Whole you are, go beyond worshiping yourself to serving your collective Self appearing as all beings, God, the Divine, beyond the One and the All forever, yet ever Present as all in all.

And yet, you appear as a human being living a human life, and while you do, I encourage you to be humbly mindful in your humanness that you always have the power to transform hateful, greedy, wrathful ways into ways that bless more than they curse and help more than they hinder. Those who surrender to this transformation not only help, but are helped; for as you do unto others, so it is done unto you.

In truth, there is neither “you” nor “others,” only That One beyond Oneness at play with itself. Therefore, give up the game of fighting yourself imagined as “other” and learn to Love the One in All, the All in One, and That beyond All and One alike. This is the Way of the Angels and the Way of God, if you would only understand…”

Humbled by this, I thought it best to end the session in humility, contemplating more than suggesting, listening more than speaking. What more could I say? I thanked the great and Ancient Michael for his presence and invited him to go in peace or to stay with me to pray and enjoy the Offerings given in the honour of him and all of the Angels and Archangels.

I sat in silence for what felt like a long time, silently reflecting and abiding in Michael’s presence. Relatively, we seem to be human beings communicating with Angels or living blissfully unaware of their existence. Absolutely, the only Reality there is, is beyond the dreams of unity and diversity alike, as the Angels have pointed out to me time and time again. Relatively, we seem to be a separate individual, member of a family, a society, a species, a planet.

But this too, is part of the dream. Nothing stands alone; nothing is cut off. While we continue to dream this dream of human consciousness, Michael seems to me to suggest, we may as well make it as happy as possible and live it as meaningfully as we can, which is to say, in greatest harmony with our highest ideals: harmony, kindness, strength, encouragement, wisdom, and love.

For if we harm others, we harm our Self in disguise, our Beloved, the Divine itself. Therefore, let us Love the dream of others, the wonder and miracle of God appearing in the form of the vast diversity of the universe, or multiverse, which we behold, in awe-struck wonder…

Magic is a game within the Divine play, God experiencing Itself as both Angels and human beings in conversation about Itself. What fun! And yet, how head-spinning to our finite human minds!

Ah! I’ve said too much already. It’s time to return to the infinite wonder of ever-open silence.

Before I do, two final words:

Happy Michaelmas!

Novena of Saint Cyprian 2018 Day 1: Invocation of Archangel Gabriel

by Frater S.C.F.V.

Last night, on Monday, September 17, 2018, I completed the first day of my Novena—a nine-day series of rituals and prayers–culminating, on the 10th Day, in Saint Cyprian’s Feast Day on Wednesday, September 26, 2018.

I began by writing out my petition of intention for the Novena:

I then anointed it with saliva in the Sign of the Cross, and placed within it some locks of my hair to link it to me sympathetically.

I folded and taped the petition to the bottom of the Novena candle and fixed the candle with Saint Cyprian oil, cinnamon, and all-spice and then dressed it downwards, pulling additional oil down towards the petition so that not only the candle itself, but also the glass was anointed with my intention.

Next, I formally lit the Novena candle on the Altar after making offerings of Frankincense, Church wafer, and water to Saint Cyprian and formally inaugurating the Novena as dedicated to him and intending to formally welcome him as my Patron. Thereafter, I prayed over the Novena candle, recited Psalms over it, prayed with Saint Cyprian, performed the Daily Exorcism of the Order of Saint Cyprian in its presence, and used a prayer from the Heptameron to invoke the Archangel Gabriel to empower it to manifest in the direction of the petition.

I felt a sense of holy vastness after invoking Gabriel. His presence felt ancient, mysterious, and overwhelmingly powerful and wise beyond human comprehension. After I asked Gabriel for guidance, I gazed into the scrying Crystal placed before Cyprian’s statue and heard a deep, peaceful, powerful voice speak into my mind from what felt like above me, saying:

“Trust in God and do not despair.”

Then the candle before me began to grow bright and dim in noticeable waves. Comfort, love, and gratitude dawned within as Gabriel’s presence intensified. Hail to you, dear Archangel of Monday and of the Day of the Moon!

Throughout the ritual, I felt a great sense of sacredness, peace, and Divine presence. I had recently been researching different kinds of Crucifixes to use in an upcoming amethyst rosary for dedicated use with Cyprian, but was unable to decide between them. When I was removing the rosary I had asked Cyprian to charge for me in the meanwhile while I waited for my amethyst beads to arrive in the mail, to my surprise, the rosary chain snapped in half!

The message from the Trickster Cyprian seemed to be “just use the Crucifix on this rosary!” This was fine with me as it had already been Solomonically exorcised, blessed with Holy Water, suffumigated, and anointed with Saint Cyprian oil as well as consecrated through use.

Praise God, and thank you for your guidance, dear Saint Cyprian! Please pray for us now and at the hour of our death. Amen!

Update: After completing my ritual session, I received an email informing me that I had formally been accepted into the Novitiate of the Order of Saint Cyprian of Antioch. Alleluia!

The Hidden Key of Reverential Awe: Unlocking the Secrets of the “Fear of God” in the Grimoires

By Frater S.C.F.V.

The Key of Solomon opens with these striking words in Book I, Chapter I:

“SOLOMON, the Son of David, King of Israel, hath said that the beginning of our Key is to fear God, to adore Him, to honour Him with contrition of heart, to invoke Him 1 in all matters which we wish to undertake, and to operate with very great devotion, for thus God will lead us in the right way.

When, therefore, thou shalt wish to acquire the knowledge of Magical Arts and Sciences, it is necessary to have prepared the order of hours and of days, and of the position of the Moon, without the operation of which thou canst effect nothing; but if thou observest them with diligence thou mayest easily and thoroughly arrive at the effect and end which thou desirest to attain” (Peterson, 2004).

When contemporary Magicians hear the phrase “fear of God,” they tend to immediately assume that the Key is praising something like a state of terror, or what the Danish philosopher Kierkegaard called the state of “fear and trembling.”

Naturally, since fear is often considered to be an unpleasant, painful, or negative state, students of the Hidden Knowledge may be dissuaded by this phrase in the grimoires and may want to skip over it, disregard it as ‘outmoded’ or ‘negative,’ and intentionally decide not to put this instruction into practice.

Lest we mistake a nugget of gold for a piece of coal, however, it is worth carefully considering whether the grimoires actually are encouraging us to cultivate a disempowering state of terror here, which certainly would be negative if it were the case. What, if, on the contrary, the grimoiric writers have something very different in mind?

Thankfully, the state of debilitating fear does not seem to be what the grimoire writers mean by the phrase “fear of God.” Instead, they are using the word “fear” in an archaic sense that is different from how we use the word today. Properly-translated, the “fear of God” of the grimoire writers is a state far more profound than mere terror, a state that the ever-erudite Aaron Leitch aptly describes as a state of “reverential awe.” And, as we will attempt to show in this article, it is a state which holds the key to unlocking ever deeper regions of our magic, our life, and our psychological and spiritual experience.

When we are in a state of terror, we may indeed feel reverential awe for the power of whatever we are afraid of to overwhelm or harm us. True terror implicitly carries respect within it, for who among us fears what we do not respect enough to take seriously?

However, there are other states of reverential awe that do not involve terror as such. A prime and powerful example of such an alternative state is love. When a lover he holds and is enraptured by the vision of their beloved, they experience a state of ‘reverential awe,’ or loving wonder, which is undeniably pleasant, even blissful.

Thus, both fear and love can be states of reverential awe, and each implies a state of humility towards the beloved or the sublimely respected. This humility in the face of something vast and powerful is central to the grimoiric understanding of reverential awe.

The stark reality is that if we overlook, dismiss, or disregard the process of cultivating a state of reverential awe in our magical practice, then we deprive ourselves of one of the most powerful keys to unlocking the mysteries of Renaissance and classical magic. Conversely, by cultivating this state, we plug our magical workings deep into a root reservoir of magical power that stems all the way back to the shamanic roots of grimoiric magic, as Aaron Leitch (2009) lucidly describes in his Secrets of the Magickal Grimoires, and which Agrippa (2000) similarly describes in his section on “phrensies” or ecstatic states.

Indeed, reverential awe–the ‘fear of God’ of the grimoires–is a kind of ecstatic state, that elevates the Magician into a charged condition of fully-present, fully-alert consciousness and open receptivity to the wondrous influence of higher powers.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832).

Reverential awe is no small thing, no mere state among other human states and equal to all others. As the great German writer Goethe points out, of all of the emotional and phenomenological states of which we are capable,

“the highest a man can attain is wonder, and when the primordial phenomenon makes him wonder he should be content; it can give him nothing higher, and he should not look for anything beyond it — here is the boundary” (Eckermann, 2011).

Indeed, beyond the Christian mystical experience, reverential awe is central to the experience of both profound Zen meditation and also in bhakti yogic samadhi states. In both experiences, one finds oneself ‘falling open’ into silent absorption that transcends the subjective experience of finite selfhood.

What’s more, as alluded to above, Agrippa’s (2000) “phrenzy of Venus” is also a state of “reverential awe,” while being a state of intimate immersion of an ecstasy of love that is far removed from ‘terror’ and more akin to a deeply-charged, blissful trust or surrender. Furthermore, even Kirkegaard’s aforementioned “fear and trembling” state of reverential awe can itself be seen as simply another modality of the Sufi and Mystical Christian’s loving absorption form of reverential awe.

Strikingly, the magical significance of reverential awe does not stop here. According to the Renaissance angelological lore that underlies the historical background of the grimoires, the Angelic beings with whom Magicians aims to perform Operations exist in a state of perpetual reverential awe of the Divine. As a result, when we enter this mode of consciousness, we find ourselves in an emotional and spiritual condition that is magically sympathetic with the ordinary state of the Angels (Agrippa, 2000).

Guitar strings vibrating in harmony, a metaphor for the sympathetic resonance that exists between the Magician and higher entities such as Angels when we cultivate the state of reverential awe, which the grimoires call the ‘fear of God.’

Thus, while immersed in reverential awe, we are, in effect, phenomenologically and spiritually harmonized or “vibrating in harmony” with the Angels themselves, like mutually-tuned strings on a guitar (Agrippa, 2000). As a result, when we are in such a state, it can be easier to communicate with Angels according to the Agrippan sympathetic theory. This holds true in my own practical experience as well.

Not is this an abstract or far-fetched idea. On the contrary, the logic at play in this grimoiric understanding of the ‘fear of god’ as a magical technology that enables two beings in the same state to better connect with one another also makes intuitive sense based on our everyday mundane experience.

For example, and to continue the musical metaphor, two metalheads often find it easier to connect than a country fan and a metalhead who loathes country from the black recesses of his iron heart.

Similarly, two people who are both experiencing sadness tend to find it easier to ‘sympathize’ with one another. In contrast, someone who is ecstatically joyful may find it difficult to connect with someone who is experiencing a deeply depressed mood and “meet them where they are at.”

Entering a state of reverential awe is much like this; in this state, we endeavour to meet the Divine and Angelic and celestial beings as much as possible “where they are at.” In so doing, it is easier for them as well to manifest and appear to us in a way we can detect.

What’s more, this point can be understood as a special case of a more general philosophical or natural law within the grimoiric worldview. Just as Magicians aim to bring their state of being into a harmonic resonance with that of the Angels through the cultivation of reverential awe, so do they do the same with other grimoiric techniques.

More concretely, if Angels exist in a state of purity, always giving offerings of loving reverential awe and service to God, then if we Magicians purify ourselves, give offerings, and cultivate a state of reverential awe, then we can more easily ‘sympathize with’ them. As a result, in such a state, we can more readily connect and communicate with these Spirits.

This is precisely why, in his Operations, John Dee spent hours working himself into a blissfully loving date through ecstatic prayer before approaching the Table and Crystal with Edward Kelley.

The back of the Shemhamphoras Diagram from the Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses.

In other grimoiric texts, we find that this point not only recurs, but is applied in different magical contexts with illuminating implications. For example, there is a passage in Joseph H. Peterson’s (2006) edition of the Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses, which describes the exact same elevation through reverential awe into a state of sympathetic resonance with higher spiritual powers to which we alluded above (Peterson, 2006). The passage in question is located in the text of the “Semiphoras” section of the Books and reads as follows:

“He who desires the influence of the Sun, must not only direct his eyes toward it, but he must elevate his soul-power [italics mine] to the soul-power of the Sun, which is God himself, having previously made himself equal to (that is, in harmony with the nature of God) by fasting, purification and good works, but he must also pray in the name of the intermediary, with fervent love to God, and his fellow-man that he may come to the sun-spirit, so that he may be filled with its light and luster, which he may draw to himself from heaven, and that he may become gifted with heavenly gifts and obtain all the desires of his heart.

As soon as he grasps the higher light and arrives at a state of perfection, being gifted with supernatural intelligence, he will also obtain supernatural might and power. For this reason, without godliness, man will deny his faith in Christ, and will become unacceptable to God, therewith often falling prey to the evil spirits against whom there is no better protection than the fear of the Lord and fervent love to God and man” (Peterson, 2006).

Reverential awe – the ecstasy of the Mystic and the Magician.

A few points are worth noting in this profound passage. First of all, we find that the grimoire recommends Magicians to undertake certain practices that result in elevating their “soul power” to the “soul-power of the Sun, which is God himself.” “Elevating one’s soul power” is another way of saying placing ourselves into a state of sympathetic resonance with the object of one’s devotions or work, in this case the Sun.

Indeed, the Hebrew word “Qadosh” means both “elevated” and “holy.” A holy state in the grimoires, then, is a state of sympathetic resonance achieved through shared qualities. Just as a sad person can sympathize with a sad person or an angry person can sympathize with a wrathful and malevolent spirit, a person in an elevated or holy state can better sympathize with a Spirit in an elevated or holy state, such as an Angel.

Interestingly, this notion is also well-known to Esperitistas, which is why they invest so much time in prayer, purification, and putting themselves in harmony with the “Developed Sporits” from which they aim to learn.

Second, and in this way, the Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses suggest that by fasting, praying, doing good works, purifying ourselves with ritual bathing, and cultivating “fear of the Lord and love of God and man” that is, reverential awe, can make us “equal to God.” By “equal to God,” the text doesn’t mean that we miraculously develop omnipotence and omniscience; instead, it means that we enter into “a state that is sympathetically in harmony with the Nature of God” (Peterson, 2006).

This is the optimal state for doing magic with the help of Angels and via the invocation of Divine Names, which is the case for Enochian magic, Key of Solomon work, Sixth and Seventh Book of Moses work, the Abramelin Operation and many other grimoiric texts and approaches.

Similarly, there’s an interesting passage in the 18th century astrologer Ebenezer Sibly’s A New and Complete Illustration of the Occult Sciences, Book 4 which, in a like manner, suggests that the state of reverential awe or “fear of God” is central to the work of the Magician who aims to work with Angels. Sibly (2000) writes:

“All who in this world lived uprightly; and preserved a good conscience, walking in the fear of God, and in the love of divine truths, applying the same to practical use, seem to themselves as men awakened out of sleep, and as having passed from darkness to light, when they first enter upon their second or interior state; for when they think from the light of pure wisdom, and they do all things from the love of goodness; heaven influences their thoughts and affections, and they are in communication with angels” (Sibly, 2000).

This is the same essential idea we find expressed in the Renaissance sources and late Medieval grimoires and the underlying rationale for many of the grimoiric practices. As such, it is worth contemplating deeply, and not being too hastily discarded.

Indeed, reverential awe is not simply invaluable to the work of Magicians who aim to commune with Angels. In many texts, it is also the very same state in which the Exorcist or Conjurer conjures Spirits. In the Heptameron‘s Conjuration of Wednesday, for instance, we read:

“I conjure and call upon you, ye strong and holy angels, good and powerful, in a strong name of fear and praise, Ja, Adonay, Elohim, Saday, Saday, Saday; Eie, Eie, Eie; Asamie, Asamie; and in the name of Adonay, the God of Israel, who hath made the two great lights, and distinguished day from night for the benefit of his creatures; and by the names of all the discerning angels, governing openly in the second house [*Second Heaven] before the great angel, <Tetra> [*Tegra], strong and powerful; and by the name of his star which is Mercury; and by the name of his seal, which is that of a powerful and honoured God; and I call upon thee, Raphael, and by the names above mentioned, thou great angel who presidest over the fourth day: and by the holy name which is written in the front of Aaron, created the most high priest, and by the names of all the angels who are constant in the grace of Christ, and by the name and place of Ammaluim, that you assist me in my labours, &c” (Peterson, 2018).

Correspondingly, this same use of reverential awe in a combined blend of “fear and love” is included in the “Orations to be Said While You Conjure” in the Key of Knowledge transcribed from British Library, Additional Manuscript 36674 by Joseph H. Peterson (1999):

Lord Jesus Christ, the loving Son of God, which dost illuminate the hearts of all men in the world, lighten the darkness of my heart, and kindle the fire of thy most holy love in me. Give me true faith, perfect charity, and virtue, whereby I may learn to fear and love thee and keep thy commandments in all things; that when the Last Day shall come, the Angel of God may peaceably take me, and deliver me from the power of the Devil, that I may enjoy everlasting rest amidst the company of the holy Saints, and sit on thy right hand. Grant this, thou Son of the living God for thy holy name’s sake. Amen” (Peterson, 1999).

Nor is the cultivation of reverential awe only called upon for use in evocation or as a general way of life of sanctity and spiritual uprightness.

Indeed, in his Third Book of Occult Philosophy, Agrippa (2000) recommends cultivating reverential awe as a prerequisite for all forms of divination. He writes:

“Every one therefore that works by lots, must go about it with a mind well disposed, not troubled, nor distracted, and with a strong desire, firm deliberation, and constant intention of knowing that which shall be desired.
Moreover he must, being qualified with purity, chastity, and holiness towards God, and the celestials, with an undoubted hope, firm faith, and sacred orations, invocate them, that he may be made worthy of receiving the divine spirits, and knowing the divine pleasure; for if thou shalt be qualified, they will discover to thee most great secrets by vertue of lots, and thou shalt become a true Prophet, and able to speak truth concerning things past, present, and to come, of which thou shalt be demanded.

Now what we have spoken here concerning lots, is also to be observed in the auguries of all discemings, viz. when with fear, yet with a firm expectation we prefix to our souls for the sake of prophecying some certain works, or require a sign, as Eleasar, Abrahams countryman, & Gideon Judge in Israel are read to have done.”

In short, Agrippa (2000) points us to the importance of cultivating a state of purity, holiness and reverential awe married to “firm faith” so that our nature can be made sympathetically resonant with the “celestials” and “divine spirits” who can help us to conduct the divination of things unknown and hidden (i.e. occult). This, in effect, is an act of placing ourselves into the sympathetic magic equation in the same way that we place corresponding stones, metals, or incenses into a ceremonial ritual with the aim of amplifying the sympathetic power of the Rite.

Therefore, although many of us modern Magicians seem to have forgotten it, Magician are not only a conductor of sympathetic ingredients; we ourselves are such ingredients. And therefore, we must ensure that we work ourselves into the appropriate state of sympathetic harmony–such as reverential awe–that will enable us to maximize the effectiveness of our rituals.

Nor do we only find the grimoires and Early Modern sources enjoining us to cultivate reverential awe through the mouths of human writers; instead, the Spirits also offer similar instructions. For example, in John Dee’s True and Faithful Relation of What Passed for Many Years Between Dr. John Dee and Some Spirits (2003), we find the Archangel Gabriel telling Dee and Kelley that:

“Blessed are those who dwell in charity. Persevere to the end: not negligently, but with good will, which good will, is called fear, which fear is the beginning of wisdom, the first step into rest.”

This is a very interesting passage for several reasons. First, Gabriel links the “fear” or reverential awe of which he speaks to “good will,” or sincerity or being goodhearted and well-intentioned.

Second, the Archangel also links this state to the “beginning of wisdom,” which sincerely Dee sought as the legendary King Solomon had done before him. Reverential awe is the beginning of wisdom, because in this state, we cease to rely on our flawed human opinions and open ourselves to spiritual inspiration. In Dee’s case, this was from the Angels themselves. Agrippa (2000) had a similar idea in mind in the passage quoted above.

Third, it’s also worth noting that Gabriel here links this reverential awe state not only to wisdom, but also to rest; indeed, in its pleasurable form of a loving ecstatic absorption, one can happily rest in abiding well-being.

This was precisely the state that the Advaita Vedanta sage Nisargadatta Maharaj (1973) had in mind when he recommended his devotees to “rest in the pure sense of Being, not being this or that, but simply being.” Resting in the pure sense of being is the same as communing with the Divine, which proclaims Eheieh (I Am). This sublimely subtle form of reverential awe is a peaceful state, as well as a pleasurable one, in which the heart is exalted (made ‘holy’) in Divine Presence and worshipful abiding.

Similarly, the Angels tell Dee and Kelley (2003) that:

“God is He whose wisdom unto the world is foolishness, but unto them that fear Him, an everlasting joy, mixed with gladness, and a comfort of life hereafter, partaking infallible joys, with him that is all comeliness and beauty.”

In this way, this reverential awe before the Divine, this opening of oneself to a surrendered, intensely alive, awe-filled state of openness and humility not only empowers our magic and enriches our life here on Earth, but also affords Paradisiacal benefits in the life hereafter.

Whether one believes in such an afterlife or not, it is certainly the case that this state is indeed conducive to the development of wisdom, rest, and empowered magical work in this life, a claim which is demonstrable through practical testing.

Indeed, if one can attain this state of reverential awe and bring it into daily life, mundane life itself takes on an enchanted feeling of spiritual depth, holy/exalted (qadosh) presence, and gratitude which constitute a kind of “Heaven in the Now” in this life” in their own right.

Giordano Bruno (1548-1600).

Indeed, one of the easiest ways to excite this reverential wonder and awe is the contemplation of Beauty, a fact which was well-known to Plato and the Neoplatonists who followed him, such as Plotinus, Porphyry, and Iamblichus.

It was also a familiar insight to the Renaissance Dominican friar, philosopher, mathematician, poet, occultist, and cosmological theorist Giordano Bruno, who, in his De Gli Eroici Furori or On The Heroic Frenzies (1582), writes:

“He who arrives at some most excellent and most beautifully adorned edifice and considers it in each detail, is pleased, contented, and filled with a noble wonder; but then should it happen that he also see the Lord of these images in his incomparably greater beauty, he would abandon every concern and thought of such images, turn and become completely intent upon the contemplation of that Lord.

Such is the difference between the state in which he see the Divine Beauty in its intelligible aspects which are drawn from the Divine Beauty’s effects, operations, designs, shadows, and similitudes, and that other state in which we might be permitted to see it in its own unique being” (Bruno, 2013).

The Reverence that Reveals: Conclusion

As Bruno (2013) knew well, and in conclusion, the entry into Divine reverence via the contemplation of the Beautiful offers another layer of meaning that lies within the “fear of God” that unlocks the potent inner currents of grimoiric magic. This reverential awe is, at its heart, a noble wonder, a state of Divine communion with Beauty itself. And while, as every adolescent male knows all too well, the sight of profound beauty can excite fear, it can also excite wonder and loving absorption.

In this blissful ecstasy, the longings of the human heart and the noblest human capacities for contemplative wonder and spiritual exaltation are mobilized for the completion of the Magician’s aims. By harnessing the most potent of human powers, in the state of reverential awe, therefore, our grimoiric Magic can itself become the most potent it can be.

References

Agrippa, H. C. (2000). Three Books of Occult Philosophy. Ed. Joseph H. Peterson. [online eBook] Esoterica Archives. Based on a transcription from Moule: London, 1651. Available at http://www.esotericarchives.com/agrippa/agrippa1.htm [Accessed 03 June2018].

Bruno, G. (2013). De Gli Eroici Furori or On the Heroic Frenzies (1582). Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

Dee, J. (2003). A True and Faithful Relation of What Passed For Many Years Between Dr. John Dee and Some Spirits. Ed. Joseph H. Peterson. [online eBook] Esoterica Archives. Available at: http://www.esotericarchives.com/dee/tfr/tfr1.htm [Accessed 4 June 2018].

Eckermann, J. P. (2011). Conversations of Goethe with Eckermann and Soret (Vol. 1). Cambridge University Press.

Leitch, A. (2009). Secrets of the Magickal Grimoires: The Classical Texts of Magick Decyphered. Woodbury: Llewellyn Publications.

Nisargadatta, S. (1973). I Am That: Conversations with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, 2 Vols.(M. Friedman, Trans.). Bombay: Chetana.

Peterson, J. H. (1999). The Key of Knowledge from Additional Manuscript 36674. [online eBook] Esoterica Archives. Available at: http://www.esotericarchives.com/solomon/ad36674.htm [Accessed 25 May 2018].

Peterson, J. H. (2004). Key of Solomon. [online eBook] Esoterica Archives. Available at: http://www.esotericarchives.com/solomon/ksol.htm [Accessed 25 May 2018].

Peterson, J. (2018). The Magical Elements or the Heptameron. [online eBook]. Esoterica Archives. Available at: http://www.esotericarchives.com/solomon/heptamer.htm

Peterson, J. (2006). The Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses. [online eBook]. Esoterica Archives. Available at: http://www.esotericarchives.com/moses/67moses.htm

Sibly, E. (2000). Ed. by Joseph H. Peterson. A New and Complete Illustration of the Occult Sciences. [online eBook]. Esoterica Archives. Available at: http://www.esotericarchives.com/moses/67moses.htm